Following the club’s most successful season to date, Shanklin Sandown Rowing Club began the Winter Season in winning form, picking up more silverware last weekend in both local and National events.
Ethan Walters and Riley Horrix, both part of the IW council talented athletes programme, got their winter season off to a great start by winning the open J16 double sculls event at the prestigious Tideway Pairs Head in London. The race, over 4.5km, comprises the Boat race course in reverse. The crew coped with the challenging course and conditions to secure the victory over their nemesis Maidenhead. This result adds to the boy’s successful year having already won a silver medal at the British Junior championship, and as a part of the crew that has won both the Hants & Dorset Junior men’s four championship & South Coast championships.
The club also took five athletes to Southampton on Saturday for Itchen junior regatta but still managed to boat eight crews, gaining four wins and two runner up spots.
The Girls J16 quad of Roxy Browne, Kayleigh Batchelor, Rachael Debenham & Yasmin Wright secured a comfortable win, two weeks after coming so close to victory at the South Coast championships, whilst Kayleigh Batchelor also secured further wins in the J15 double scull, with Florence Neller of Itchen, and the J14 single scull.
Owen Denness’s perservance in the single scull paid off when he took a deserved win in the J15 event coming out on top after two close races. There were also two podium places for Yasmin Wright. Firstly in the J16 scull, in what proved to be the closest finish of the day and then with partner Rachael Debenham in the J16 Double scull. Teaming up earlier with Roxy Browne in the J15 Double and also the J15 Single scull, Debenham had a particularly busy and successful day, securing a further two second places.
